10 Celebrities You Might Not Know Are Irish

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, everyone is suddenly discovering their Irish heritage. Ever the bandwagon jumpers, celebrities are also likely to be wearing green this Saturday. (You know Kim Kardashian will.) But there are plenty of celebs who can actually claim Irish roots.

Sure, you know that Bono and Colin Farrell like to throw back a pint and chow down on Irish stew. But there are plenty of other celebrities whose Irish backgrounds might surprise you. Take a look at a few famous faces who have the luck o’ the Irish in ‘em.

Michael Fassbender

Stuart Wilson, Getty Images

Though born in West Germany, the Oscar-nominated star of ‘X-Men: Origins’ and ‘Inglourious Basterds’ can claim an Irish-German ancestry. His mother, Adele, hails from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. As a child, he spent time in Killarney and even served as an altar boy. Even more legit, according to family legend, his mom is the great-great niece of famed Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins. If that doesn’t earn him a pint at his local pub, we don’t know what will.

Demi Lovato

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Teen star and tabloid favorite Demi Lovato comes from a Mexican, Italian and (yes) Irish background. (She gets the Irish from her mom’s side.) Is that why she likes to party? No comment.

The Jonas Brothers

Rob Kim, Getty Images

Nick, Joe and Kevin, aka The Jonas Brothers, are both multi-talented and multi-cultural. The brothers come from Italian, German, Irish, English, Cherokee and French-Canadian heritage. No wonder they make other guys green with envy.

Darren Criss

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

The ‘Glee’ star gets his Irish side from his father, who grew up in Pittsburgh. (He also attended the San Francisco private Catholic schools Stuart Hall for Boys and Saint Ignatius College Prep.) We imagine he can perform a killer version of ‘Danny Boy.’

Zooey Deschanel

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Despite her French-sounding last name, Zooey, who comes from a Hollywood family (dad is a director/cinematographer and mom is an actress), can also claim an Irish background. Her mom, Mary Jo Deschanel, was born Mary Josephine Weir. (You might remember her as Ed Harris’ wife in ‘The Right Stuff’ and as Donna’s mom on ‘Twin Peaks.’) No wonder Zooey is as plucky as a leprechaun.

Olivia Wilde

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Born Olivia Jane Cockburn, the sultry ‘House’ star is the daughter of journalists Leslie and Andrew Cockburn. Thanks to her parents, she can claim dual citizenship in the US and Ireland. Her stage name is even a nod to her Irish heritage — she took the last name Wilde as a tribute to famed Irish writer Oscar Wilde and the many writers in her family. She also appeared opposite pretty much every Irish actor in Hollywood on the short-lived TV series ‘The Black Donnellys.’

Mandy Moore

David Livingston, Getty Images

Singer/actress Mandy Moore gets her Irish roots from her father, Donald Moore, who is from Irish and Cherokee descent. She was born the far-more-Irish-sounding Amanda Leigh, a name which Mandy used as the title of her 2009 album.

Megan Fox

Michael Buckner, Getty Images

Fox can thank her Irish, French and Native American background for her famed good looks. Raised Catholic by strict parents, she attended Catholic school and wasn’t allowed to have a boyfriend. No wonder she grew up to be such a vixen.

Dane Cook

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Funnyman Cook comes from a Roman Catholic background, and grew up the son of Donna and George Cook in Cambridge, MA. Cook’s upbringing is the source for much of his stand-up material.

Zachary Quinto

Andreas Rentz, Getty Images

In addition to his Irish/Italian background, the ‘Star Trek’ star also has an Irish Wolfhound terrier mix named Noah. As Spock would say, “highly adorable.”

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